A daily journal.
Mainly introducing wild birds of Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, through photos.

やんばるでリュウキュウオオコノハズク、ホントウアカヒゲなど

久しぶりにやんばるに夕方から行ってきました。

前から目をつけていた広場の防風林にリュウキュウオオコノハズクがいました。人に慣れているのか、営巣木が近いのか分かりませんが、前から写そうが、後ろから写そうが、下を通ろうが同じ枝にずっと止まっていた。しばらく現場を離れて戻ってみるとやはり同じ場所にいる。営巣かなー?

やんばるの林道を歩くと色々な生き物たちがいました。ホントウアカヒゲやリュウキュウコゲラ、イモリやセミの仲間がいました。

Ryukyu Scops Owl

Even in silhouette, the Ryukyu Scops Owl looks different from the Oriental Scops Owl.

Ryukyu Scops Owl

Compared to the Oriental Scops Owl, the Ryukyu Scops Owl has a larger head and a stockier build overall.

Ryukyu Scops Owl

Brown Hawk-Owls were nesting several tens of metres away, and whenever their calls came through, the Ryukyu Scops Owl kept reacting to them.

Ryukyu Scops Owl

This Ryukyu Scops Owl appears to have no tail feathers — I wonder if something happened to it?

Ryukyu Scops Owl

When the light drops, the pupils open up this wide.

Okinawa Robin

A fledgling Okinawa Robin. It shows little wariness.

Okinawa Robin

At this time of year, both adult Okinawa Robins and fledglings are out, so I would think the population is at its highest for the year.

Ryukyu Pygmy Woodpecker

A Ryukyu Pygmy Woodpecker hanging upside down, searching for insects among the Terminalia catappa.

Ryukyu Pygmy Woodpecker

It came as close as about 2 metres at the nearest.

Ryukyu Pygmy Woodpecker

After searching for insects for around 10 minutes, it flew off somewhere.

Okinawa Himeharu-zemi?

Cryptotympana facialis.

Okinawa horned beetle.

Okinawa skink. The blue tail was beautiful.

A newt was trying to eat an insect that had fallen into the water.

Okinawa tree lizard.

Kuroiwa's cicada?

Ryukyu dragonfly?